Go Green! Seems to be the mantra this days and every manufacture is doling out power efficient products. Lenevo’s A61e is based on AMD’s DTS form factor-the fast of it’s kind, consisting on their power optimized processor, chipset and graphics.
The A series of desktops from Lenovo are oriented towards business and hence don’t expect this PC to churn out big numbers-it is not meant too. The A61e is designed to consume less space-an important aspect for most businesses. We found the dimensions very compact for full fledged pc-great for Media center PCs. Despite the diminutive form factor the pc does not get hot-thanks to good ventilation and low power components.
The configuration offers a decent balance between performance and power consumption. AMDs Athlon 64 X2 BE-2350 (power optimized) processor along with ATIs X1200 onboard graphics power the PCs critical system. The motherboard is custom built, and hence we could not trace its manufacturer. Other goodies include 1 GB of memory, 160 GB hard drive, DVD writer and Gigabit Ethernet. The PC does not run directly off the mains, rather it requires the provided power adapter similar to a laptop. The tight fit of components means, upgradeability is limited.However,the system admin will appreciate the tool-case,which opens by sliding a signal latch.
Along with the A61e, Lenovo has bundled the familiar black keyboard and optical mouse. The A61e can be ordered without any display. However,our test unit had their 20-inch LCD monitor.During our tests the LCD fared well and delivered good tonal accuracy. The LCD is fit for any office related work, i.e. word processing, spreadsheets, browsing etc.
When we upgraded the memory to 2GB the PC shifted its gear and delivered reasonable results. With all the eye candy on,vista requires at least 2GB for other applications to work.With Windows XP, we had no problem with the stock configurations. The performance was satisfying.We tried Ubuntu 7.10.The PC did boot,but with minor glitches such as wrong screen resolution,no sound, etc, which needed some fixing.
The A61e without the monitor is sweetly priced at $395.

Specifications:
AMD Athlon 64×2, 1 GB DDRII, 160 GB HDD, DVD-RW, X1200 onboard graphics, Keyboard, optical mouse, Gigabit Ethernet and PC DOS.

Bookmark To:

The XPS 420 is the top of the line Dell desktop model for the International market. Cramped with features, the XPS 420 is a multimedia powerhouse aimed at gamers,enthusiasts,etc.
This new model features a new completely revised chassis.Finished in shiny black plastics,the front panel is a smudge magnet and attracts much dust as well.The side panels finished in brushed aluminum with a big xps logo scream for attention.One unique thing about the xps 420 is the presence of small LCD screen on the top(Windows Sideshow) an extension of vista sidebar. This small LCD can be used for showing small tidbits of information via the sidebar gadgets. New gadgets can be downloaded from Microsoft’s Web site.
The base configuration consists of Intel quad core q6600,2GB of DDR II 667 MHz,250 GB hard drive and 8600 GTS graphics card. These components are powerful enough to ensure a high-end rig experience, though we think the 8600 GTS is aging and expect dell to replace it soon with the newer 9600GT card.
The 20-inch LCD monitor comes bundled with the system is breathtaking.The screen is glossy and reproduces crisp images.Movies are fun on this monitor,so is editing photographs and the sheer space on offer will allow you to open two word pages side by side.The LCD also has an embedded 2Mp Web camera,which can be used for chatting,taking photographs and capturing video.The capture quality is good and colors are faithfully reproduced.
There is also an MPEG 2 transcoder with front mounted AV ports,wich can be used for importing video from camcorders and encoding it to Divx.The accompanying software,however.is not user friendly and requires lot of patience to learn.additionally, there is the 19-in-one memory card reader with Bluetooth 2.0 module,wireless (Bluetooth) keyboard and mouse and a Hauppauge TV tuner card with remote.Miscellaneous items include micro fibre cloth for wiping the LCD,soft and hard mouse pads and a folder with the necessary manual and CDs all perfectly packed in the box.
The cabinet can be opened without any tools.All it requires is pulling a singal latch to release the side panel.On the inside,everything is neatly packed.Since Dell has opted for the BTX form factor,the system requires just one fan to cool itself.The cables and wiring are tied down and routed optimally without affecting the air flow.The single 120-mm fan is placed right after the huge CPU cooler and throws out hot air from the front of the cabinet. Throughout our testing process the system remained cool and quiet.Though the cabinet is tall and the internals are neatly organized,there is not much space for future upgrade;just two hard drive slots thats what you get here.
On the software front,Dell has bundled in Adobes Elements studio package consisting of the lite version of Photoshop Elements, premier Elements and SoundBooth Cs3. The typical Dell in house software is present and they provide complete control over every aspect of this beautiful machine.
The XPS 420 performs admirably in all aspects,thanks largely to the powerful hardware thats under the hood.The Q6600 simply chewed through the test we put it through and has enough grunt to trans code home videos on the fly. Though the 8600 GTS ran through the entire graphics test delivering playable frame rate,we think its best to upgrade to a higher card. Dell offers 8800GT in lieu of the 8600GTS and if you pocket permits you should upgrade for better gaming experience.Overall,the system performance is more than satisfactory is more than satisfactory,despite vista running on the system,it was responsive with hardly any lag.
Priced at $ 1750,we fell the XPS 420 is overpriced considering the weak graphics subsystem. However, it is very difficult to recreate the overall look and fell that the XPS420 has-the beautiful case,neatly packed interiors,stupendous hardware and the tiny LCD screen on the cabinet!If you have money to blow and appreciate style,then the XPS 420 fits the bill.

Specifications:
Intel core 2 Quad Q6600,2 GB DDR II, 250 GB, Media Xcelerator,8600 GTS, 20-inch LCD screen with 2 MP cam and Bluetooth keyboard and mouse.

Bookmark To:

The View is Sandisk’s attempt at a video oriented PMP and features a slightly larger screen than their mainstream E200 series. It’s also a slightly longer device, and gives up the metal back for a Matt finished black rear that adds a touch of class to an already up-market looking device. The ribbed click wheel also goes in favor of a smooth finish with a smooth moving click wheel. The menu system remains the same, but we found exploration a little better, courtesy the new smooth action wheel. Expansion is avia MicroSD now. should for some reason 16 GB onboard insufficient, and given the fact that the 8 GB MicroSD cards are slowly making their way to the market space, is never going to be a constraint.
All the features we loved on the E200 series are present-FM radio, voice recording, video image viewing-although features like an alarm clock, calender, and the ability to store notes was absent-a pity SanDisk didn’t think of adding anything new. Navigating the menu is simple and the same ease of use has being carried over to the FM radio too. Setting up the channels took very little time. the screen is also a touch below par, especially when compared to the screen on the new Apple iPOD Nano 3G, its logical competitor. Other devices like Cowon’s D2 and Apple’s Touch are miles ahead. Music quality is the other significant parameter, and the View doesn’t disappoint here. Although we noticed good volume levels, the view isn’t as louder as either the D2 or the Nano/Touch duo, nor is it as defined in the highs. In fact, bass doesn’t extend as low as the competition, and while it does pound lightly, it’s not the thump that we’ve seen from the best of the PMPs in our tests.
At $320, the Sansa View is a anything, preferring mediocrity to anyone, with each of the competition mentioned above doing at least something better, while retaining all the same features.

Specifications:
16 GB Flash,MicroSD expandable, 2.4-inch LCD, FM radio, Voice recording, H.264 video playback.

Bookmark To: